YOU KNOW YOUR A WORLD RACER WHEN…
you have your passport number memorized
You have more than one type of currency
in your wallet.
You
know what it’s like to be packed in a van or bus with all your stuff.
You’re excited to use your tent because
you can have your own space.
You get excited when you get to use a
toilet that flushes, and you’ve learned to always carry toilet paper with you.
You have a Chaco/Teva/Flip Flop tan on
your feet, and your feet can be so dirty no amount of washing gets
them clean.
You can wear the same outfit for days
at a time and no one cares.
Taking a shower becomes an
as-really-needed basis.
You can find the best American food and
WiFi place in any city.
You have Facebook friends from around
the world.
You spend a good amount of time in
prayer when traveling in Africa or Asia, and you’ve almost forgotten what side
of the road we drive on in America.
The
words “feedback” “prefer” “Muzungu” and phrases “are you ok?” “should
we talk about it” and “How are you? How are you?” and “You pray, you
speak” can never leave or forsake you.
You wonder why no one is staring at you anymore like a celebrity after leaving Africa
You
don’t get scared anymore when cars and trucks are flying by you on the
side of the road really close and any type of transportation speeding
is just normal to you.
Four countries in one day (Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines)
Alone time means listening to your Ipod
and pretending to be alone.
You’ve discovered the head lamp is one
of the best inventions ever.
You spend way too
much money on Cokes because they are cold.
You’ve embraced peanut butter or
Nutella as the most economical and essential food, and you learn that
peanut butter is a little different in every country.
Hearing roosters
crow at all hours of the night and day is normal.
You never really
know what’s going on, and you’ve perfected the act of hurry up and wait.
You’ve become used to carrying all your stuff in one heavy and over-sized backpack.
You’re
asked by people, “What are you doing? Where are you going? Who are you
with?” and all you can say for the 1,000th time that day is “I don’t
know” and “Beats me! I’m just going with the flow!”
You see and do
things you never before thought possible.
When you stop and think about it, you
say “Is this really my life because this is so amazing?
– Your least favorite animal is the rooster. Or
goat or the winged, dengue carrying spawns of Satan
otherwise known as Mosquitos. You have no idea how much I hate those
things.
– Driving on the left side of the road has become normal.
– You carry a
headlamp with you at all times.
than three currencies in your purse.
-When you become livid or blow up because someone is trying rip you off the equivalent of like 25 cents American.
– Everyone notices
when you have a new item of clothing.
And literally 9 jazillion people ask you at different times that day, “Is that new?”
– When you’re not
tenting, you always have at least 3 roommates and sometimes 50. This same amount of people will
inevitably share the one bathroom
problem using the toilet with the bathroom door open, one person in the
shower, and three people standing around the sink. (Or you are used to pouring sweat while taking a dump. Thank you Dwarka Sector 8, India!)
– You look for the
trash can when you enter the bathroom stall, because it has become the norm
for you to dispose your toilet paper in the trashcan.
– You have no problem taking a dump on the side of the road.
remember what there is to eat besides rice. Rice makes up 90% of your diet and in
some countries they don’t think that you have eaten a meal if you haven’t
had your rice.
attempted to speak 10 languages over the past year. This often leads to being very good at
explaining things with your movements or trying to talk louder. (Or English to English translation – well Fodor at least!)
continents, 3 days – completely normal.
– You see a rat or
cockroach scurrying through a house, yet
you carry on as if it were completely normal.
– You have learned
not to ask questions when the water and the electricity shut off – it
happens at least once a day in some countries, sometimes for several days
at a time.
– Random people ask
to take pictures with you…all the time! Or approach you for random conversation. Or stare at you doing normal things like sitting and talking or eating.
– In the middle of
dinner, you stop and ask what country you’re in.
– You are competent
at taking a shower from a bucket of water.
the art of washing your laundry by hand.
of toilet paper in your purse because most bathrooms lack that luxury.
– You have ridden
more modes of transportation than you ever knew existed.
to adapt to anything.
an entire squad for the entire month you are there. Especially if it
has wireless internet. (Ex: Hotel Princessa, Yellow Rose of Texas, Tuesdays, Rustic Tavern, The Coffee place in India, Corner 33)
is a cardio-vascular workout. Or your hands actually chap/peal b/c you
have clapped so much (Tanzania)
conversation at dinner is the current solidity of your bowel movement.
If they come to your house, its perfectly normal to hear…
“Can I drink this water?”
“So, is it cool to flush the TP here…?”
“There wasn’t a name on it, so I used it. Hope that’s ok.”
“Hey do you care if I borrow your toothbrush, I left mine at home.”
Routine behaviors that might raise an eyebrow, but are perfectly normal …
Excessive
trips to the free refill counter, accompanied with lots of slurping and
an excited “Ok, really, last trip…I promise. This is so much fun!!”
Instead of folding clothes into drawers, they are rolled tightly, military style (and MIGHT be stored in ziploc bags too)
Every month, clothes are tossed out, with the simple explanation of “It weighs too much. Get rid of it!!”
Constant blogging.
Guzzling gallons of iced tea at record pace.
Bargaining with the store clerks at Wal-Mart.
The offer to do your logistics for the family vacation.
The inability to stay in one place very long.
Gleeful laughing and clapping at the sight of a clothes dryer.
The insistence that another international trip must be planned quickly because “I still have 3 blank pages in my passport!”
Hand-sanitizing.
They’re really not kidding when they say…
“Sorry, officer… I really didn’t realize 10 people in one car was such a problem.”
“Who wants to climb that waterfall and jump off with me?”
“How much will you pay me to eat this bug?”
“I haven’t showered in, like, 3 days. I just didn’t think about it.”
“There’s one brownie left. Let’s arm-wrestle for it.”
“That looks so gross. Let’s taste it!”
Be patient when they say…
“$10 ?! I’m not paying that. In China, its only $2.”
“When I was in the Philippines….”
“Oh my gosh, when we were in Swaziland…”
“Well, in Cambodia…”
“Ha, that’s nothing. When we were in Thailand…”
“Yeah…when I was on the World Race…”
“Plan? No. Let’s just figure it out when we get there.”
You’ll notice they’re very resourceful…
“What’s our budget?”
“Refried beans? Spaghetti noodles? Spinach?…Yeah, I can definitely make a meal with this.”
“Just squish in!! Last time, we fit 10 people in one of these.”
“Want me to ask those random people to give us a ride?”
“Toilet paper? Yeah, sure. I have a roll in my pocket.”
